Friend Or Foe?
by otownsangel
Summary: They had ripped out her heart and completely destroyed her confidence in relationships with one stupid decision. A decision that had changed them all. And not for the better.
1. Is It Too Late?

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing…

_Summary:_ They had ripped out her heart and completely destroyed her confidence in relationships with one stupid decision. A decision that had changed them all. And not for the better.

_Rating:_ PG-13 (for now, anyway)

_Author's Notes:_ So, I just got the latest t.A.T.u. album today, and it's brilliant… Don't know why I didn't buy it sooner… But yeah, so that was sort of the inspiration for this one. This isn't the end, but I'm not really sure how long it's gonna turn out. Could be a few chapters… Could be a lot more. I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to approach this yet. But I'll figure it out…

And just to clear things up, when I speak of love here between Temperance and Angela, I'm speaking of friendship, not romantic love. Hopefully that was clear in the story; I think it was, but I can't remember how many times I actually used the word 'love' in reference to Tempe and Ange and how many times were just in my head while I was trying to put this together, so I just wanted to make sure everyone understood it in the correct context…

Also, I want to let anyone who may be reading 'Through The Iris' know that I haven't forgotten about it… I'm just too lazy to hook up my laptop at the moment, and I don't have Word on this computer. But I will continue. Probably as soon as I get back up to school next week…

Anyway, hope you like it! Oh, and the song here is "Friend Or Foe" by t.A.T.u.

_And also, I need to put a **spoiler warning** here. Not a big one. It's just a tiny itty-bitty little spoiler that most everyone probably knows by now, but I'm warning you anyway, so if you don't want to know, don't read._

**Is It Too Late:**

_Is it too late?  
Nothing to salvage  
You look away  
Clear of the damage_

He'd fucked up. Badly. In fact, he wasn't sure they were going to be able to get passed this one. With Rebecca, she'd looked the other way. With Cam, she'd accepted it… But this… Well, there was nothing he could say to justify his actions this time.

They'd been drunk. _Really_ drunk. He wasn't sure he'd ever been so far gone, in fact.

And she'd been there.

It was ironic. He'd been at the bar, drowning his sorrows _because_ of how fucked up his love life had become… And then he'd gone and fucked it up again. Typical. Holding on to a relationship was beginning to seem an impossibility…

It wouldn't have been nearly as bad, had he simply had a chance to tell her. To talk to her about it… Explain all the things that just couldn't be explained away now, because she had _seen _it. Seen them…

It had happened when her worry had brought her to Angela's apartment the next afternoon. A series of ignored phone calls and the refusal to answer the insistent knocking at the door had been the cause; the emergency key Angela had given her completely forgotten in the midst of waking from a night of serious drinking…

When they'd heard the door crash open he'd tried, _really_ tried to find a way out… But there was none.

She'd opened the bedroom door, calling Angela's name, and she had been met with the wide, guilty eyes of her best friend who was desperately clutching the comforter to her naked chest, and then the sight of him, just barely having managed to pull on his jeans before she had rushed through the door, his chest still bare and his eyes just as guilty.

She had run then and he had chased after her, catching her in his arms and trying his damnedest to hold her close and comfort her. She would have none of it, though, and she struggled against him, breaking free to stand before him; staring him down for just a moment.

He barely felt the sting of her hand against his cheek, because all he could see, all he could _feel_, were the tears that had gathered in her eyes and the hatred burning behind them. It was something he had never believed he would see directed at him. Not from her…

For a moment, he tried his best to convince himself that her hatred was unwarranted; that she had no claim over him, and therefore he could do as he liked and she had no right to be angry with him for his actions. But as she turned away, fleeing from the apartment, tears streaming down her cheeks; the only sound the echo of the key as it fell from her hand to clink to the tile floor, he knew she hadn't been the one in the wrong, even if they hadn't officially declared a relationship.

She had been betrayed. By both of them. The two people in her life who she trusted more than anyone else in the world… They had ripped out her heart and completely destroyed her confidence in relationships with one stupid decision.

A decision that had changed them all. And not for the better.

_The promises  
Hollow concessions  
An innocent_

_Show of affection  
I touch your hand  
A hologram  
Are you still there?_

Temperance had shut down. Completely. That box she had previously reserved for her heart only when a case became emotionally difficult had become indestructible. It had been weeks since he had seen her smile. She rarely spoke, especially to the two of them, and when she did it was never more than a few words that absolutely _had _to be said for work purposes. She had discontinued all work in the field, despite her previous passion for it, and she had made an official request to Cullen that he assign her a new partner. As that had yet to take effect, however, she had been stuck with him since the incident…

He knew that the delay was probably the result of Cullen's affections for both of them, and he assumed the man was hoping they could find a way to settle their differences. It was something he truly appreciated, but he was beginning to wish more and more that his boss would simply get on with it… Because with every passing moment that she was near him, it seemed as though she shut down just a bit more; locking herself away so deep down that he wondered if anyone would ever be able to pull her back… And he wasn't quite sure if he wanted out more for her sake, or for his own. As selfish as he knew it was, he wasn't sure how much longer he could continue to watch her this way, knowing that it was his own fault; that he had been the one to break her.

_We used to love one another  
Give to each other  
Lie undercover so,  
Are you friend or foe? _

Love one another  
Live for each other  
So, are you friend or foe?  
Cause I used to know

And he hadn't simply ruined one life. He had destroyed Angela as well.

She was leaving the Jeffersonian. She hadn't taken any official action as of yet, but he knew. She couldn't take being so close to the woman she had called her best friend for so long, and yet be so far from her. Temperance had looked at Angela with nothing but hurt and anger in her eyes for weeks, and Angela simply couldn't take it anymore.

He'd confronted her about it earlier in the week. He had shown up at her doorstep, and he'd tried desperately to change her mind. She had denied even having thought such things, but her eyes had told a different story, and he had been left with no doubt whatsoever that Angela Montenegro was leaving the Jeffersonian to move on to something less painful. He had apologize profusely after that, as he knew he had been the one to initiate their little encounter, and he had never regretted anything more in his life… She had told him, again and again, that it hadn't only been his fault, as she hadn't exactly been a reluctant participant, but it had done nothing to ease his guilt or his fears. The woman he loved hated not only him, but also the only other person in her life whom she had truly loved since her parents disappearance; her best friend.

One stupid mistake, and three lives had trickled down the drain, leaving nothing more than a dark emptiness… An emptiness he wasn't sure any of them would ever again be able to fill.

_The meaning to  
Our words of love  
Has disappeared  
_

_Are you friend or foe?_


	2. Perfect Enemy

_Disclaimer: _I own nothing…

_Summary:_ They had ripped out her heart and completely destroyed her confidence in relationships with one stupid decision. A decision that had changed them all. And not for the better.

_Rating:_ PG-13 (for now, anyway)

_Author's Notes: _I apologize for the long wait on this one. Frankly, I think college is going to kill me… And if the stress alone doesn't get me, it's gonna be my damn shower. I swear to god, it's like showering in tiny little shards of glass, the pressure's so bad… In one of the other houses, the water pressure actually knocked the whole door off the shower… It's a little bit scary…

But I digress… Anyway, I'll try my best to get more out as soon as possible. No promises, 'cause I've been extremely busy, but hopefully I'll be able to get some more written over break this week…

The song here is "Perfect Enemy"… Again, by t.A.T.u.

Hope you like it, and thanks for the reviews!

* * *

**Perfect Enemy:**

* * *

She had overheard them earlier, arguing over her behavior; wondering at the hurt she was showing…

_ "I know she's hurt, and I _know_ we fucked up, Angela, but Bones and I were never actually together, so why the _hell_ is it so bad! Why is it she'll hardly even look at me!"_

_ They had been walking through the lab… or rather, Angela had nearly been sprinting down the hall, and Booth had been chasing after her, in his desperate search for answers. And then, finally, Angela had spun around on him so fast that Brennan had been surprised when she hadn't knocked him over from pure shock. "Because she _told_ me, Booth! She told me how she felt about you! She told me that she was terrified because she was falling in love with you! You had Cam, and you had Rebecca, and so she was too afraid to tell you, but she told _me_, Booth! She told me she was falling for you, and when Temperance Brennan admits to something like that it _means_ something! And then she found us like that… Booth, it destroyed her, okay? And it's not what _you _did… It's what _I_ did. How _I_ hurt her…"_

And it was true. As much as she had been hurt by _Booth's_ actions; as sure as she had been that Booth cared for her the way she cared for him, it had been Angela who had caused all the hurt. Angela. The one person in the world she had believed she could trust enough to let out her deepest secrets to, had slept with the man she loved. The man Angela had _known_ she loved.

Alcohol be damned, there was _nothing_ that would ever convince her that what Angela had done could be forgiven.

She should have known, really. Should have seen it in the way Angela had looked at him, flirted with him… But she hadn't paid it any mind, because that was Angela, and Angela had Jack, and there was no way that she would have risked that relationship… But then she had. With Booth. The man Temperance loved.

And love wasn't a word she had _ever_ thought she would be using to describe her feelings for _anyone_, much less a man, and Angela had _known_ that.

But it clearly hadn't mattered.

* * *

_Why should I welcome your domination?  
Why should I listen to explanations?_

_I'm not pretending to make it simple  
Try to be something experimental_

* * *

Tears had gathered in her eyes, and she hated herself for being so weak. Never before had she reacted so emotionally to anything, and for that, she blamed Booth. He had pulled her out of her shell, only to crush her heart to pieces, leaving her broken and alone. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back inside herself and block out the world, and for the most part she had succeeded… At least it appeared that way to the outside world…

But she wasn't nearly as closed off and coldhearted as the rest of the world perceived her to be. With every passing moment that she was alone, a tiny shard of that cold façade fell away, and she was left with nothing more than tears and the overwhelming feelings of betrayal that haunted her now and, she imagined, always would…

She had no one… No one to love. No one to turn to.

She was completely and utterly alone.

And this time it _hurt_.

* * *

_No longer waiting, remove illusions  
No more complaining, forget confusion  
No more compassion, not sentimental  
I am now something experimental_

* * *

The knock at the door startled her, and she wanted nothing more than to simply tell whoever it was to leave her be… And she would have, too, had the intruder not invited himself in.

"Temperance."

She laughed, a bitter, cutting sound that hurt even her.

Of course. Who else would it be. Three weeks of barely having spoken to one another, and now, because of Angela's confession, he wanted to talk it all out… But she would have none of it.

"Leave, Booth."

Her words were biting, and she could almost feel him drop his eyes to the floor in a gesture that wasn't quite one of defeat… Not yet. No, he wouldn't give up just yet… But neither would she, and she knew she was far more stubborn. Especially now, and especially with him… The man who had broken her heart.

"We need to talk about this."

He sounded so sure of himself, and she knew he was overcompensating. Trying his best to present himself with authority, as though he believed she would back down at that. "We have nothing to talk about… Now please, leave."

She still had yet to turn to him, and she knew it was unnerving him, but she couldn't look at him… Mostly because she knew he would instantly see the tears she had so recently let slip… And partly because she couldn't give him that control. He had a way about him. A way of breaking her. She knew that if she were to look at him, she would break. And he would witness it… Which was something she simply couldn't allow… Not anymore.

"Angela told me some things today…"

Again, she cut him off with a bitter laugh. "Did she, now? I'm surprised. Didn't realize the two of you were so interested in talking."

He ignored it, and she could do nothing more than squeeze her eyes shut tight against the fresh tears that sprung as he continued. "She said you were in love with me. That you admitted it to her. That she heard it straight from your lips…"

"If I loved you before…" She paused for a moment, trying her best to steady her wavering words. "It's gone now."

"Love doesn't just disappear like that, Temperance…"

"Well, then… apparently it wasn't love." She knew he could hear the tears in her voice now, but she no longer cared. It didn't really matter anyway. Because even if she did love him, she could no longer trust him, and without trust, their relationship was nothing. And the same went for her relationship with Angela.

She was done with both of them.

It simply wasn't worth the pain.

_You don't turn me off  
I will never fail  
Things I loved before  
Are now for sale_

"Temperance, _please_…" She stood, then. Finally turning to face him, no longer concerned about the tears that stained her cheeks or the emotions she knew floated in her eyes. And he took it as a sign that she was letting him in, and so he took a few steps closer, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her arm. "Can't we just talk about this?"

His voice was so quiet, so pleading, that for a moment, just a moment, she wanted to give in. To reach out, and fall into his arms, and just let him hold her for as long as he would have her…

But then the images of that day came rushing back at her and her anger flared, and she jerked her arm away so forcefully that he stumbled back in shock. "Who the _hell_ do you think you are! You sleep with every goddamn woman you meet, including _my_ best friend, and then you expect me to what? Fall into bed with you? Because _that's_ not happening!" And she knew full well that that was in no way his intention, but she looking for a reaction. Trying to hurt him… Just a little bit. To give him just a little taste of the hurt he had caused her.

"I never said that." His voice remained quiet. He was talking softly, being patient… Too patient.

He was speaking to her as though she were a child. And she didn't like it. Not at all.

"Get out." She'd had enough. And she was sure to make that clear.

_Keep yourself away  
Far away from me  
I'll forever stay your_

_perfect enemy_

For a moment, he simply stood and stared at her, his eyes pleading… But when the ice in her gaze failed to melt away, he gave in, turning and walking out the door, without so much as a glance back at her.

And as he went, she couldn't help but feel as though he had given up too easily. She remembered a time (or maybe she had imagined it, even she herself was no longer sure) that he would have waited a lifetime just to see her smile… But now, it seemed, he was letting go.

Apparently, love wasn't all she had hoped it would be…

* * *

_I'm not pretending to make it simple_

* * *


End file.
